Chino Desalter expansion to start in late summer

The Western Municipal Water District in California, USA, accepted US$ 4.5 million of federal government funds on 18 May 2009 towards the Chino II Desalter expansion project, which expected to start in late summer.

The US$ 112 million project will include an ion-exchange plant for nitrate removal and a reverse-osmosis system for treating groundwater.

The original 8 MGD (30,000 m³/d) desalter, opened in April 2000, was a significant step in groundwater cleanup in the Chino area, which had suffered from nitrate contamination for several years and had eventually become unusable. The project pumps groundwater from 11 wells throughout the Chino Basin area to the Chino Basin reverse-osmosis plant. The high-quality water is then pumped into the municipal water supply systems for the cities of Chino Hills, Chino, and Norco; and into the Jurupa Community Services District water system.

The expansion project also involves the construction of new wells, groundwater treatment and water distribution facilities in the lower Chino Basin. Anticipated to be complete in late 2013, the upgraded facility will increase regional drinking water supply by up to 10,600 acre-feet (13 million m³) per year. The facility is managed by the Chino Basin Desalter Authority (CDA).